AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Allen Iverson‘s season is over.
The Detroit Pistons, who acquired the all-star guard from the Nuggets in a trade for Chauncey Billups in November, said Friday that Iverson will miss the rest of the season — and the playoffs if they make it — because of a sore back.
Iverson missed 16 games from Feb. 27 to March 28. He returned for the past three games and averaged 7.7 points and 2.7 assists in nearly 19 minutes. He complained about his role as a reserve, saying he would rather retire than come off the bench next season.
Leon Rose, Iverson’s agent, insisted the player’s health was the only factor in the decision.
Iverson averaged 17.4 points, 4.9 assists and 3.1 rebounds for Detroit.
Wilson to coach U.S. hockey
PHILADELPHIA — Ron Wilson of the Toronto Maple Leafs is expected to be named coach of the U.S. Olympic team for next year’s Winter Games in Vancouver.
“If I am named, it would be a tremendous honor, but as far as I know nothing’s going to be determined until Monday,” Wilson said.
New York Rangers coach John Tortorella was also believed to be under serious consideration to replace Peter Laviolette, who led the Americans to an eighth-place finish at the 2006 Turin Olympics.
• Bart Veldkamp is out as U.S. speedskating national coach for the 2009-10 season.
McPherson, Kim share Kraft lead
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Kristy McPherson and Christina Kim teed off well before the wind started gusting and solidified their positions at 6-under-par 138 at the halfway point of the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA Tour’s first major of the season.
McPherson shot a 70 and Kim a 69 at Mission Hills. Cristie Kerr also teed off in the morning and was third after shooting a 68 for a total of 139. First-round leader Brittany Lincicome followed her 66 with a 74 and was fourth.
• Paul Casey shot a 2-under 70 for a share of the lead with Geoff Ogilvy (69) and John Senden (71) at 8-under 136 during the suspended second round of the Shell Houston Open in Humble, Texas.
• Ross McGowan shot a 2-over 73 in the second round of the Estoril Open in Cascais, Portugal, retaining his lead by one stroke over Carlos del Moral (71—138) and Chris Doak (70).
Footnotes.
David Reutimann turned a lap of 190.517 mph to earn the pole for Sunday’s Samsung 500 in Fort Worth, Texas.
• Richard Petty will make his first foray into the Indianapolis 500 as an owner when he fields a car for John Andretti in next month’s race.
• Former Baylor defensive back Kyle Woods, paralyzed from the neck down during a practice in 1979, died Thursday in Waco, Texas. Woods, who was 49, had a heart attack March 22 and never regained consciousness.
• Mexico rehired Javier Aguirre as its soccer coach a day after the dismissal of Sven-Goran Eriksson.
• Purdue quarterback Justin Siller, a redshirt sophomore, has been dismissed from school through 2009-10 for an undisclosed academic violation. The Associated Press
